Meridian Energy's Project Hayes - the planned 630 MW windfarm in Central Otago - has been granted resource consent. I'm not sure how I feel about this. While I support wind energy, there are very strong landscape values at stake which the wind farm will ruin forever. OTOH, with the decision almost certain to be appealed to the Environment Court, those issues will at least receive a thorough going over and a check to make sure the council has made the right decision.
On the plus side, Hayes will put us well on track to the renewable future the government is trying to push us towards. But it also illustrates that that future will cost us.
